Spectators and officials at Didmarton woke up to snow last Saturday, but some quick thinking, and an abundance of other cancelled fixtures has enabled the fixture to be rescheduled this Saturday with all entries standing. So the West Mercian area gets its calendar off 4 months later than scheduled with a double-header.

 

The Sir William Wynns and Flint & Denbigh also takes place this Sunday at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse with an entry of 67 for the six races, starting at 1.00. There is also a charity flat race prior to the point to point with a variety of twelve local people riding and raising money for their various causes. At the beginning of the week, the going was mainly soft and heavy in the home straight. A decision will be made later in the week if the final fence will be omitted.

 

The opening race is a two-mile flat race for four- and five-year-olds, where only two of the ten entries have previously raced, and Dave’s Sister has fair placed form. Choice of the newcomers may be Phil Rowley’s Ballymena Boy and Bear Market, Clive Boultbee-Brooks Let’s Go Girls and Bradley Gibbs’ Four Out of Five. However, it’s probably a race to take a watching brief.

 

The largest entry of twenty is for the 5-year-old and upwards Maiden, which may be divided on the day. In an open contest, the three that make most appeal are Fifty Shades of Bay, Iconic Rock and Subtle Fortune. Iconic Rock was runner-up to Dunaden Island in a Chipley Park maiden with Fifty Shades of Bay back in third place and he is taken as an each-way selection.

 

The Mixed Open has eleven entries and the pick of them appear to be Encounter A Giant, Forest Chimes, The Creadan Rogue and Yippee Ki Yay. The Creadan Rogue won an Intermediate early in the season but has not progressed from there. The other three all won at this meeting last year. Encounter A Giant won the Open before going on to win the prestigious Lady Dudley Cup at Chaddesley Corbett, but he lacks a recent run. Forest Chimes won the Conditions Race and then won three more times during the season. Yippee Yi Kay beat Iskander Pecos in the Maiden here and has then progressed to win a Restricted and two Intermediates. The six-year-old trained by Area Secretary Nickie Sheppard has the advantage of a recent run and may be good enough to record his first Open win.

 

The Ladies Conditions Race over two-and-a-half miles sees the return of last year’s winner Golden Tobouggan along with seven other entries, but the veteran may need to improve on his recent runs this season. Hannah Roach has the choice of The Creadan Rogue and Willewonga who can both run well. Shang Tang has been running consistently and Runwiththetide won an Intermediate at Alnwick. The ex-Fergal O’Brien trained eight-year-old Lusitanien won a Charing Ladies but may find it difficult here with a ten-pound penalty. In an open contest, it may be worth taking a chance with Willewonga.

 

There are eight entries for the Conditions Race (Level 3) where Bestfriend Barnaby, Chenery, Doc Carver, Perfect Attitude and The Dubai Way appear to be the pick of the nine entries. Bestfriend Barnaby and The Dubai Way have reasonable form. Perfect Attitude was useful for Gordon Elliott a couple of seasons ago and is having his first run in a point. Chenery won three races in a row last season and was pulled-up in a much hotter Open this season. Doc Carver has been running consistently in Novice Rider races and may just have the edge.

 

The concluding Restricted has nine entries and Bestfriend Barnaby, Goleirihem, J’eux d’Eau, Prohus Yank and Trip Switch have the best form. J’eux d’Eau and Goleirihem have run well in Restricted races this term. Bestfriend Barnaby was touched off in a Restricted at Alnwick in January and was going well when falling last month at the Brocklesby. Prohus Yank won a Higham Maiden recently. Trip Switch won a Maiden well at Eyton-on-Severn last season and was an unlucky faller at the last in a Restricted, when clear at the same course. He looked an exciting prospect and should be capable of winning this time.